On the Edge
by Astrocam
Summary: Melinda and Jim are having some problems due to Melinda's ghosts. But when Melinda meets Eli, a fellow human who can communicate with the dead, she feels like she is not alone after all. Will she fall for Eli, or stay with Jim? /Mel&Eli/
1. Trouble Arises

**Astrocam: Hey guys, so it's been quite a while since I've written any fanfiction. I thought it was about time I uploaded some new stuff. I wanted to start new, so I deleted most of my other fanfictions. This time, though, instead of Naruto, I've decided to try my hand at a Ghost Whisperer fanfic. I have no idea where this story is going, or how long it is going to be. Just bear with me. Don't worry, I will be getting back into writing Naruto soon. I just need ideas. Anyways, enjoy, and thanks in advance for any reviews ^.^ Features Melinda and Eli, so please don't leave any reviews if you do not like either of those characters. I'm an Eli fangirl :P**

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><p><strong>Chapter One - Trouble Arises<strong>

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><p>"Ooh, Jim," Melinda Gordon gigged as her husband, Jim Clancy, grabbed her around the waist and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He had just arrived home from a ten hour shift. Melinda had missed him terribly, being alone in that house was not something she enjoyed.<p>

"I've missed you, Mel," Jim sighed into his wife's perfect long, wavy, dark brown hair, dropping his bag to fully embrace her.

Melinda leaned against him for a few moments, thinking how lucky she was to have such a kind, caring, gentle, understanding husband such as Jim. He had to be understanding to be married to her.

She had a special gift. Ever since she was little, she was able to see the spirits of people who had died, but had not crossed over into the light. Her grandmother had passed down the gift to her mother, but her mother denied it, and so the gift had made its way to Melinda.

Melinda's job was to figure out why these spirits were still around, and to help them cross over. However, she could not go to them. They came to her, and they could arrive at the most inconvenient times.

Luckily for her, she'd been able to rest for the past three hours alone in her house, with no unexpected visitors. She'd also pulled a seven-hour shift that day, at the antique store in Grandview that she owned, where she worked with her best friend, Delia.

In fact, she hadn't had a ghost incident in about a week now. She only briefly wondered what was keeping them from her, but wasn't too concerned for the most part. She enjoyed the restful nights, the quiet times with her husband. There were too few of those. Most of the time, they only got to spend the night together. Even then, sometimes Jim worked night shifts, while Melinda worked during the day, so they'd only have a couple hours a day together.

Melinda treasured her moments with Jim. She never took advantage of any moments she had with him, the way most wives did with their husbands.

"Are you hungry, Jim?" Melinda asked her husband, a little distracted by his hands roaming her back.

"Hungry for you," he murmured into her ear. Swiftly, he picked her up off the floor bridal style. She squealed in surprise. He kicked off his shoes, then headed up the stairs with her in his arms.

Once in their bedroom, they quickly stripped off their clothes. Melinda wasn't in the mood for romancing…she just wanted Jim to herself.

She loved making Jim happy when he returned home from long shifts at work. They did not have children, so they didn't have to worry about locking any doors. Melinda was leaning towards possibly trying for a baby soon, but she wasn't ready to take on the responsibilities of being a mother just yet. She knew that Jim wanted children, but he didn't pressure her, which she was also grateful for.

After about an hour of pleasure, Melinda was exhausted. Jim had fallen asleep on top of her, however she wasn't insulted…she thought it was rather funny. She giggled as she pushed him off of her naked body. He remained asleep.

"Melinda," a voice called in the darkness.

"Oh!" Caught off guard, Melinda instantly wrapped blankets around her to cover herself before standing up off the bed. "Who's there?" she asked calmly, once she was sure no perverted ghost would peek at her.

"You don't have to cover. I already saw everything."

"Who are you?" Melinda was frustrated that she couldn't even bask in the aftermath of her and her husband's love making.

A foggy form appeared next to the bedroom window. The only reason Melinda could tell that the ghost was male was because of his voice.

"My family is in trouble. I need you to help them." the figure said.

"Who are you?" Melinda repeated. "Where is your family?"

Suddenly, the entire room started shaking. The bed, the walls, the dresser. Melinda stumbled, grabbed onto the edge of the dresser to keep her balance. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded of the ghost. "Why are you angry?"

"Help my family," the ghost murmured before disappearing.

As soon as the ghost was gone, the room exploded.

Glass shattered inward from the window. The blankets from the bed flew everywhere. The dresser Melinda had been holding on to toppled over, nearly crushing her, but luckily she fell/stumbled out of the way just in time. Instead, she felt a pain in her arm when she accidentally rolled onto a pile of glass.

"Jim!" she cried out in pain, hoping her husband had waken by now.

He was by her side in an instant. "Mel! What's going on?" he shouted.

Tears fell from her eyes as the pain intensified. At that moment, the room stopped shaking, everything was still again. It was almost like an earthquake, but Melinda knew that their house was the only one that had been affected. It was because of the ghost.

"A ghost?" Jim carefully helped her stand. "Are you ok, Mel?"

Melinda nodded, wiping her eyes. "I-I've got glass in my arm…but I'm fine…" Not caring who saw her anymore, she dropped the blankets so her paramedic husband could inspect her wound.

Jim helped her into her night gown, then took her downstairs into the living room to treat her wound.

"I'm sick of these ghosts," Jim murmured as he finished bandaging her up. "I'm sick of them hurting you."

"No, he was just angry, it's not his fault," Melinda tried to sooth Jim. "He told me that he wanted me to help his family so he's obviously very caring."

"Caring? But he doesn't care if he hurts my wife?" Jim finished with Melinda's injury, then stood up, frustrated. "Mel, I love you, but this ghost stuff is getting out of control. I'm tired of seeing you hurt, or having our time interrupted, by some ghost who needs help."

"We haven't had a ghost issue in about a week," Melinda argued. "I figured we were due for one."

"So what, every time there's no ghosts for a while, I shouldn't get my hopes up that they'll leave you alone for good?" Jim was mostly tired from his work, but he'd been holding these words in for a while. Melinda had to know how annoyed he was with the whole ghost situation.

Melinda's big, brown eyes filled with tears again. "Jim, I'm sorry, but this is something I cannot control. You agreed to stay with me through all these times when you married me. Are you second-guessing being with me?"

Jim sighed, conflicted. He hated seeing his wife hurt. He knew that people had hurt her in the past because of her gift, he didn't want to be one of them. "No, of course not, Mel. I love you. I made the promise to stay with you, and I'm going to keep it. I just get tired sometimes. I hope you understand."

She nodded slightly, reaching her arms out to him. "I need you," she whispered. "Without you, I'm nothing."

Jim fell into her arms, and they held each other close for the rest of the night.

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><p>"Melinda, you look worried," Delia Banks noted the next day when her and Melinda were tidying up the antique shop. "Something on your mind?"<p>

Melinda sighed. Jim had been unusually cold with her this morning after they'd woken up. He'd kissed her goodbye, as usual, but it wasn't filled with the warmth and desire she often experienced when he kissed her. "Jim's been acting strange lately. Well, it started last night, but I thought he was just tired from work, so I blew it off. This morning, though, he was very distant. Cold. I don't know."

"Uh oh. Trouble in paradise. What's he upset about?" Delia was concerned for her friend. She didn't want to see Melinda hurting over a man.

"The ghost thing. I think it's finally getting to him. After four years of being married to someone who deals with this almost every day, I can understand," Melinda was worried that Jim was slowly falling out of love with her.

"Well, if he really loves you, he'll stay. That's about the best advice I can give a married couple, seeing as I'm not married anymore," Delia laughed a little. Her beloved husband, Charlie, had died a few years back, leaving her with their son, Ned.

Melinda smiled at her friend. "I'm glad you're here, and I have someone to talk to. I think I'd go crazy if I didn't have you."

"I might have to argue with that…you are already crazy," Delia teased. She knew about Melinda's gift. She wasn't fully acceptant of it yet, but she tried to be as patient as she could.

"Hey now. I know that." Melinda grinned as she picked up a box that turned out to be unexpectedly heavy. "Oh, Delia, I might need help with…" she grunted, but before Delia could reach her, the box slipped from Melinda's hands and landed directly on her foot. She yelped.

"Oh, gosh, are you ok?" Delia gasped, running to help her friend.

Melinda yanked her foot out from under the box. "Ouch!" She grabbed her foot, hopping behind the counter. "I think I need to sit down."

Delia was beside her seconds later. "Do you want me to call Jim, an ambulance, is it broken? Bleeding?"

"I don't think it's broken," Melinda murmured, sitting on a stool and rubbing her foot. "It'll probably just be bruised."

"Well take your shoe off and let's see," Delia insisted.

Melinda did as her best friend instructed. Her big toe was a little red, and throbbing, but it seemed to be fine. There were bits of skin peeled off though. "See? Not a big deal. I can still walk on it."

"By the way, I forgot to ask you about the bandage on your arm. We were too busy when you first came in, so I didn't have time to ask. What happened there?" Delia asked curiously.

"Ghost thing last night. That's what got Jim upset," Melinda sighed, resting her sore foot on another stool that Delia had provided for her. "I don't know what made me drop that box just now."

Delia looked at Melinda. "Ghost?" she wondered aloud.

"Probably. Don't tell Jim about this, ok? It's not a big deal, and he'll flip out again."

"I won't. I'll finish tidying up, you just rest."

"Thank you," Melinda leaned her head back against the wall. Was this ghost out to get her? If so…why?

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><p>Later that day, Melinda was just about to close up the shop, when a young man came rushing in the door.<p>

"I'm sorry, Miss, but there was something I ordered that I was supposed to pick up today and I completely forgot until now," he panted, coming to a stop in front of her counter.

"Well, just let me know what it was," Melinda grumbled, not enjoying last minute customers. Delia had left an hour ago, and the store had been so quiet that Melinda had decided to close up early. Now, it looked like she had to close as normal.

"It was a doll for my friend's sick daughter. My friend was in here, and she fell in love with it. She purchased it but wasn't able to take it home, because she wanted to surprise her daughter. She gave whoever was working here my name, so that they would know I wasn't trying to scam or anything."

Melinda didn't remember this kind of purchase, but it could have happened while Delia was working and Melinda was on her break.

"I'll go check out back," Melinda told him. "What's your name?"

"Eli James," the young man confirmed.

Melinda nodded, but as she turned her back to him to go find the object, she felt his eyes on her.

This she was used to. Guys very often stared at her, or openly hit on her. She'd had to flip her wedding ring to them more than once since she'd been married to Jim. Jim appreciated that Melinda was good looking, though he did get protective of her if a guy noticed her while he was around. If only he knew about the guys who noticed her when he wasn't around.

The young man at the counter, though, was quite handsome, Melinda had to admit. She didn't pay too much attention to other guys, she didn't need to. She thought Jim was handsome enough. A glance here and there, but never full on staring or ogling.

Melinda reached the quiet back room and searched for a bag with Eli James on it. She did find one, opened it, and inside was the antique doll that he had mentioned.

She returned to the counter where Eli was waiting. "Here you are," she gave a smile.

Eli took the bag, but didn't walk away from the counter. Instead, he looked at her. "Your name's Melinda, right?"

"Yes, how did you know?" Melinda blinked at him suspiciously.

"I'm not sure. I have to go. Bye." Eli backed away from the counter, but just as he was about to open the door to leave, something made him stop in his tracks.

Melinda bristled when she felt the presence of the ghost in the shop. She noticed Eli stopped, too, and turned to face her.

The ghost appeared by the counter, and Melinda pretended like she didn't acknowledge him. She would wait for Eli to leave, or else it would seem like she was talking to herself. She didn't want to appear crazy in front of a customer.

"Melinda, why are you ignoring me?" the man asked. He was still in a foggy form, so she couldn't see any features clearly.

To Melinda's surprise, Eli turned his head towards where the ghost was standing.

She continued to ignore the ghost, though, and smiled at Eli. "Have a nice evening," she told him.

Eli seemed to snap back to reality. He turned back to look at Melinda again. "Oh, right, you too!" he waved at her, quickly rushing out the door, almost slamming it behind him.

"That was weird," Melinda spoke mostly to herself, but the ghost answered her.

"He's different, too. You know you're not just the only one," he said.

Melinda looked at him. "What? He can see ghosts, too?" she asked, surprised.

"No. You'll find out soon enough."

"But he was only a customer, it's not like I'll see him again," Melinda protested.

"Oh, I think you will," the ghost vanished then, leaving Melinda confused and alone in her little store.

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><p>Melinda decided not to tell Jim about her encounter with Eli and the ghost. She felt bad for keeping things from her husband, but she didn't want him to stress or worry more than he already was.<p>

A few days passed. Jim warmed up to Melinda again, as she kept any encounters with the ghost to herself. The ghost decided to appear only when she was not with Jim. Melinda figured he sensed Jim's distress.

"So, Mel, anymore sightings of that ghost lately?" Jim asked her one day as they were eating supper.

"Uh, no!" Melinda answered a little too quickly. She nearly choked on a piece of lettuce from her salad.

"Mel!" Alarmed, Jim stood to help her, only to have her wave him off.

"I'm fine," Melinda coughed. She managed to swallow the lettuce. "Sorry. I'm fine. Sit down."

Jim sat, but glared at his wife suspiciously. She seemed jittery lately, and he wanted to know what was going on. "If there's anything you're keeping from me, I would like to know," he told her.

Her eyes widened. "It's nothing, Jim. Everything's fine. The ghost hasn't come back to me yet."

She was lying through her teeth. He could tell. "Right," he murmured.

"Seriously, Jim. You don't have to worry about me," Melinda laughed nervously. Jim was catching on to her, she couldn't hide this much longer. So she quickly changed the topic. "So, how was your shift today?"

"You already asked me that three times," Jim pointed out.

Melinda just smiled at him nervously. She was going to have to get better at lying, it seemed. "Right, I did, didn't I?" she giggled.

Her and Jim continued their usual suppertime small talk, Melinda avoiding anything that had to do with the dead or ghosts. Jim was worried about her…she hadn't lied to him about anything ghost related before. Was it that serious that the ghost was hurting her, and she just didn't want him to stress out over it? Or was there something more involved…perhaps, maybe, another man?

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><p>Melinda was working alone in her store the next day, when the door banged open. Startled, she jumped, and looked up to see who it was.<p>

"Oh!" she breathed, trying to slow her heart down. "It's you!"

"Hey, you remember me," Eli said, surprised. "Sorry, the breeze caught the door before I could. My friend's daughter loved the doll, by the way."

Melinda smiled at him. "I'm glad. How is she feeling?"

"She's doing better. She was sick with a high fever, but I think she'll be alright," Eli came over to the counter.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Melinda offered, making sure her wedding ring was in clear view of him, in case he tried anything funny.

Eli clearly saw the ring, but he just smiled back at her. "I know this might sound crazy, and I probably should wait until the third date to ask you this," at this he chuckled, "but I was wondering if you believe in…ghosts?"

Melinda also giggled at his "third date" joke, but stopped when he asked her about ghosts. "Why do you want to know?" she asked him.

"I'm just curious. I'm not going to write you up in a paper or anything, I'm not a journalist. In fact, I'm a psychiatrist."

"Really? That's interesting," Melinda eyed him doubtfully. He had seen her all of two times, and he was already asking her a very personal question.

"In case you don't believe me, here's my business card," Eli fished in his pocket and handed her a small card. "I'm not expecting a call or anything, I'm just proving to you that I'm not some kind of crazy journalist or paparazzi investigating the dirt on everyone in Grandview."

Melinda stared at the card for a few moments. It seemed legit. "I don't…really know you," she said.

"You can get to know me if you want. I mean as friends, of course. I respect that you're…married," Eli pointedly looked at her wedding ring.

"Why are you so interested in getting to know me as a friend?" Melinda was always suspicious around new people.

Eli shrugged sheepishly. "I'm, ah, not very good at this."

"Well, one can always use more friends, seeing as Delia and Ned are my only friends," Melinda reasoned out loud. "I can meet you after I'm off work at five, and we can go for coffee or something, if you'd like?"

Eli's face broke out in a huge (and rather cute) grin. "That would be awesome. Oh, I have to get back to work. I just thought I would drop in and say hello. Uh, well, see you here at five." He waved at her before leaving the shop.

Melinda wondered if it was a mistake to see another man behind Jim's back. She knew if any romantic feelings surfaced on her part, she could just stop seeing Eli. Jim was the only one she needed. It was possible for men and women to just be friends without ever having romantic feelings towards each other.

Right?

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><p>Melinda found herself looking very forward to seeing Eli after work that night. She'd called Jim and told him she would be doing inventory with Delia (another lie) so she would be a couple of hours late. She called Delia as well, and told her that if Jim decided to check up on her, that's what she was doing. Delia would lie for her.<p>

Eli showed up a few minutes after five, and so him and Melinda went to the nearest coffee shop. They sat down, asked for a coffee, then they were alone to talk.

"So, you didn't answer my question earlier," Eli pressed. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

"I believe…that some spirits are troubled after they die, why do you ask?" Melinda decided to keep things simple, at least until she got to know Eli better.

"Again, this might sound crazy, but I think I'm being haunted," he murmured so no one could overhear.

Melinda perked up at this. Maybe Eli wasn't as crazy as she'd thought. "Really? What makes you think so?"

"Well, weird things have been happening."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I don't know, something's kind of…leading me towards you. As though you can help."

That would explain Eli's sudden wanting to be her friend. A ghost (perhaps her ghost) had probably showed him something in a dream or given him signs. "So, what did the ghost do?" Melinda asked curiously.

"Ever since my friend's husband died a few months ago, she's been having horrible luck, and so have I. For a while she wondered if someone was playing a prank on her, but then her daughter suddenly fell ill for no apparent reason. The doctors still can't figure it out. I wondered if it was something more than just bad luck," Eli explained. "Then I started having dreams about a beautiful woman."

"What did the woman look like?" Melinda wondered if she would regret asking the question.

Turning bright red, Eli looked down at the table. "You," he whispered. "That's why when I saw you at the antique store, I knew you could help me."

Things were staring to kick into place, now. Perhaps her and Eli's ghost really was one in the same. Maybe her ghost was that of Eli's friend's husband. "I know this might sound…strange," Melinda took a breath. About now was when most of the people she was trying to help decided to flip out at her. "But…I see ghosts. Spirits, of those who haven't crossed over into the light."

Eli looked her in the eyes again. "So, you saw my ghost?"

"I think so. He was in the antique shop the other night when you came in."

"Well, that's a good thing, then. Because I have something I need to tell you," Eli reached across the table and took her hand gently. She didn't pull back. "I can hear ghosts," he said. "I can't see them, but I hear their voice and can talk to them."

Melinda was shocked. She'd thought she was the only one who could communicate with the dead. "How did this happen?" she asked him curiously. She was too fixated on his story to notice that his hand was gripping hers tightly.

"I was involved in a fire. It was a freak accident, but I was near death for a few minutes. I had an out of body experience, and while I was floating I could hear the voices of my dead relatives because I was so close to death, but not quite dead enough that I could see them. I didn't see any light. Just my own body lying on the ground."

Melinda just stared at him. "I'm glad you were saved," she murmured.

"Me, too. But ever since then, I thought I was going crazy. I kept hearing voices that didn't seem to be coming from any source. I asked for help but the doctors just wanted to throw me in a mental hospital. After that, I became a psychiatrist."

It clued in to Melinda, then. "So you heard the ghost at the same time I saw him in my shop?" she asked.

"Yes. I was pretty sure you knew he was there. I did more research about my…gift. I was hoping that I wasn't the only one."

Melinda was almost brought to tears. "All my life," she murmured. "I've been ridiculed, called a psycho, insane…the first guy I fell in love with broke my heart when I told him. Then I met Jim and he was completely open with it. At first he thought it was strange, but once he saw what I could do…"

"…he stayed with you anyway, because he loves you for you," Eli finished for her, sadness in his eyes. "I haven't found that yet."

Smiling with unshed tears in her eyes, Melinda squeezed his hands. "I'm so glad we met. I don't feel so alone anymore. Jim is great, but he doesn't really understand what people like us go through everyday. My best friend, Delia, knows also, but she's still weird about it. Her son, Ned, knows too. He's more open minded though."

"Yeah, people usually don't know how to react to this stuff," Eli sighed. "I'm so glad I could finally get it off my chest and tell someone."

Melinda realized she had found a lifelong bond in Eli. Though they had technically just met, she somehow knew that she could trust him. She just knew that they would be friends forever.


	2. Confrontation

**Astrocam: Hey guys, it's me again. Thanks for those reviews :D Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I have a feeling this story may end up being fairly short.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Whisperer or Eli (damn...)**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two – Confrontations<strong>

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><p>Melinda continued to see Eli a couple of nights a week, after work for the next month or so. They had fun together, relating their ghost experiences and being able to laugh with each other. Melinda was visited often by Eli's ghost, but she still couldn't figure out what he wanted. She guessed it had something to do with Eli's friend and her daughter, but the ghost wasn't making himself clear.<p>

Jim was wondering what was going on with his wife. She seemed happier now, and yet distant. She was hanging out with "Delia" a lot, but Jim knew something was up. He could just feel it in the way Melinda acted around him. She also hadn't said a word about ghosts.

So one night, he confronted her about it.

"Mel, I've been patient with you for the past month," he reasoned with her one night as they were laying in bed. They weren't cuddling, instead laying side by side, both on their backs. "But I know something is going on. I'm not as stupid as you seem to think I am. This isn't high school love here, where one sneaks around with the other being oblivious. I'm married to you. I know you."

Melinda gulped nervously. She hadn't breathed a word to him about Eli. Her and Eli were still strictly just friends, though Melinda had warmed up to him considerably. "I'm fine, really. I'm tired, and just want to sleep."

"STOP!" Jim growled, rolling over so that he was facing her, propping himself up on one of his elbows. "I'm sick of you evading my questions. This isn't what I married you for. You promised to always be truthful, and you're not being."

Melinda also turned to face him, keeping a distance between them. "All right. Do you promise not to be upset?"

Jim eyed her warily. Was he about to get his heart broken? "Depends."

"I promise, I'm not cheating on you. But..." she sighed, looking down at the bedsheets. "I have met a new friend."

"Ok...so why couldn't you just tell me this?" Jim was perplexed. Did Melinda possibly have feelings for this new "friend"?

She was avoiding his gaze. "His name's Eli. He's a psychiatrist. Me and him have something in common. He can hear ghosts."

"Well, that's great, I'm glad you have a friend you can talk to," Jim wasn't jealous at all. Why would Melinda think he would be upset?

"I just...thought you wouldn't enjoy all this ghost stuff. I mean, now that I've met Eli, we've been trying to figure out why a certain ghost has been haunting him. I'm guessing it's the same ghost that hurt me that night about a month ago. Eli has a friend..." Melinda continued to explain Eli's situation to Jim, hoping he'd understand. She finished with, "...and so, that's why I've been seeing him. We can't seem to figure this one out. You're not mad?"

Shaking his head, Jim rested his hand on her arm. "No, not at all. I'm just frustrated that you don't seem to know me," he told her. "I'm not some high school kid anymore, Mel."

"I know, I know," Melinda sniffed, tears starting again. "I'm so scared of losing you."

"You will lose me if you keep things from me like this. From now on, tell me everything. Promise?" Jim moved his hand up to caress her face.

Sniffling, Melinda snuggled into his chest. "Even if it's about ghosts?"

"Yes. I want to know everything in your life, even if it stresses me out," Jim chuckled, holding his wife tightly. "I love you, Mel. Remember that, ok?"

Melinda sighed happily, closing her eyes. "I love you too, Jim. Always."

"Always," Jim whispered, kissing her on the forehead before closing his eyes and happily falling asleep in his wife's arms.

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><p>Melinda was relieved that things with Jim seemed to be back to normal for now. She could continue her friendship with Eli and hold no more guilt, and not have to make anymore excuses as to why she would be home late on the nights she was with Eli.<p>

One sunny day, Melinda was alone in her shop (Delia had the day off) when the door opened and Eli stepped in, holding two coffees.

"Hey," Melinda smiled, stepping from behind the counter. There were no customers, so she could do as she pleased. "Thanks for the coffee," she smiled, taking one of them from Eli.

"Who said it was for you?" Eli grinned.

Melinda rolled her eyes and took a sip.

"So, I've got news on our ghost," Eli took a seat on the couch in the store. Melinda sat next to him, eager to hear everything.

Eli continued. "I think he really is my friend, Carry's husband. I visited Carry last night and she played a couple video tapes of him. The voice I heard on the video tapes was the same voice that's been haunting me."

Melinda nodded. "That's a good sign. Poor Carry, it must be hard."

"Yeah, especially having to tell her daughter that her daddy won't be coming home," Eli mused out loud, unconsciously scooting closer to Melinda.

Noticing the action, Melinda nonchalantly leaned back farther into the couch away from Eli. She couldn't let Eli get too close to her. He knew she was happily married. And if they got too close, it would ruin their friendship. "That would be awful," she agreed. "But what do we do about the ghost? What does he want? Why can't he cross over?"

"Well, we know he died by car accident. He was on his way home from work when a drunk driver ran into him. He lost control, the car flipped, and well you know the rest. Carry was devastated when this happened. She feels that it was her fault, that if she hadn't asked him to take that route home to pick up some bread and eggs, he'd still be alive," Eli paused to take a sip of his coffee.

"So, they were happy together," Melinda confirmed. "Nothing was wrong in the marriage."

"Nope, not that I know of, and Carry confided in me for anything. She would have told me. Her daughter, Janice, is happy, as well. She isn't being teased or harassed at school, she's doing well and fully recovered. Nothing has really happened to them since. At least, so far."

By now, Melinda was squished into the far end of the couch, while Eli was slowly inching closer to her. He wasn't giving her much room. She half-thought about standing up, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Besides, she was comfortable. "The ghost husband, he wants us to help his family. But how, if they are all right now? That's what I'm confused about."

"Me, too. He won't cross over for some reason. Maybe he needs to speak to them, to let Carry know it wasn't her fault, and tell her to stop blaming herself," Eli thought out loud.

"Could be. Why wouldn't he have just told us that sooner?" Melinda was starting to get frustrated. She just wished the ghost would appear and take them to his family.

Eli shrugged. "I don't know, he's probably confused himself."

By now, less than a couple inches of space separated them. Melinda looked at Eli warily, her heart beating in her chest. Why was she feeling this way around him? It was almost like when her and Jim had first met. Melinda remembered that day well.

"Melinda? Are you ok?" Eli reached out and took her hand.

"I'm fine," Melinda squeaked. She didn't pull her hand away from him though.

"Is everything all right with Jim? Does he know about us?" Eli said, emphasizing the word "us".

_Relax,_ Melinda told herself. She couldn't run away from Eli when he was trying to comfort her. She tried to loosen up. "Yes. I've told him. He'd like to eventually meet you."

Eli smiled. "That's good. I'd like to meet him, too. Boy, he sure is lucky."

"Why?" Melinda already knew the answer to that.

"Because he has you," Eli's voice was wistful. "I haven't found love yet."

"You will someday," Melinda patted his arm, but he still had a hold of her other hand. "I'm sure someone will be able to accept your gift."

"No, I've given up on that," Eli hung his head. "I've tried talking to other girls about it but they just don't understand. Not like you do."

Melinda wasn't really the greatest at giving love advice. Ghosts, she could deal with. Love was a whole different matter, when it wasn't her own. "Eli, I'm -"

"Yes. I know. But God, I wish you weren't." With that, Eli quickly lifted his head and swooped in for a kiss.

Melinda's intent was to pull away. It really was. She couldn't do this to Jim, not after he trusted her with Eli. But God, Eli's lips tasted so good. Different from Jim's. Jim was an amazing kisser, but Eli's kiss was something different.

Feeling brave now, Eli reached his hand behind her head, pulling her close, keeping the kiss chaste. Melinda didn't respond at first. But soon she couldn't resist. Eli was just so damn charming. Jim hadn't kissed her this way in quite a while.

When she started kissing him back, Eli untangled his fingers from her hair and ran his hand down her back. She was so sexy. He just had to know what she felt like under him...

After a few steamy moments, Melinda's common sense finally kicked in, and she pulled back from Eli, breathing hard. "Eli, I -"

Again, he interrupted her. "I'm so sorry," he breathed, his hands still on her back. "I don't want my feelings for you to ruin our friendship."

Melinda wasn't really sure what to say, or do. She desperately wished Delia was around. "I-I should get back to work," she stammered, slowly unwrapping herself from Eli and standing up, a bit shakily.

Eli made sure she was all right and she assured him that she wasn't angry with him. She would call him again. They could continue to be friends, they just wouldn't be alone together. Melinda didn't want to lose a good friend like Eli because of something stupid like this. Eli left the store, promising he'd come back after her shift for their usual Thursday date.

What Melinda didn't know was that a certain someone, who had the day off and had come by her store to see her, was watching through the window.

* * *

><p>Jim nearly collapsed on the sidewalk in despair when he saw what had happened inside his wife's antique store. He'd been on his way to the store to bring Melinda some lunch he had proudly made himself, when he'd happened to glance in the window and see Melinda kissing another man.<p>

When the man (who Jim could only assume was Eli) finally left the store, Jim felt the very strong urge to go after him and demand to know what was going on. Instead, taking a few deep breaths, Jim let the man go and calmly centered himself before pushing himself forward into the store.

Melinda broke out in a nervous smile when she saw him. "Hey, Jim!" Her voice was a little high and breathless, almost like it was after Jim kissed her.

Jim warily stepped forward, setting the lunch bag on the counter. "I brought you some food. I made it myself." His voice was a little colder than he'd intended.

Still smiling, Melinda reached out to take the bag. "Thank you. I'll eat it when I go on break." She slid the bag behind the counter, then stepped out. "The store has been dead today."

Jim noticed that the front of her shirt was a bit crinkled, not straight like it had been this morning when she'd left. Had she really been pressed that close against Eli? "Really?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

As if she just remembered it now, Melinda quickly straightened her shirt. "Yes," she giggled. "I've just been moving boxes around, if you're wondering why I'm messy."

_More like moving lips around,_ Jim fought the urge to roll his eyes. After he had trusted her with this Eli character, how could she do this to him? He would have a serious talk with her when she came home. Now was not the time. "Are you still seeing Eli tonight after work?"

"Yes. I'll be home probably by nine at the latest. We can't seem to figure this ghost out," Melinda spoke fast, as though she wanted to get the subject over with. "He won't cross over, and we don't know why yet. I'm stressing out about it." As if she could pass off her weird behavior and blame it on the ghosts.

"Right. Anyways, I'll see you then I guess," Jim sighed, tired of putting up a front. He just wanted to go home and mull over what he had seen.

Melinda nodded, but didn't make a move to hug or kiss him goodbye. "See you."

Jim didn't bother to say "I love you" as he usually did. He wasn't in the mood for such words. He wondered if Melinda said those words to Eli yet. Well obviously, if they were making out in her store.

He turned on his heel and walked quickly out of the shop, breathing the warm, summer air.

* * *

><p>Eli showed up on time that night. Melinda was more nervous about being with him now. She hoped he wouldn't do that again. She figured that Jim knew that something was up. She was a terrible liar, and terrible at hiding her emotions.<p>

"Hey, so about earlier, I'm really sorry -" Eli began.

Melinda shook her head. "It's fine. Let's forget it happened."

Eli grinned. "Thanks. That's what I was hoping for. I was thinking I'd like you to come by my place. I have some books I'd like you to look at, hopefully we can figure out some things about our ghost. Plus I did some more research. I didn't bring anything with me, I should have though."

Although a bit wary about going to Eli's house alone, Melinda agreed anyway. She would control herself around him from now on.

Eli's house was about a ten minute walk from the antique store. When they reached his place, Melinda was impressed. "You live here by yourself?"

"Yeah, it's not much," Eli said modestly, unlocking the door and letting Melinda in ahead of him.

He gave Melinda a quick tour. The house wasn't too big, but not too small either. Melinda was impressed at how well Eli seemed to be doing for himself. It wasn't untidy like a lot of men's bachelor pads.

"So," Eli motioned for her to sit on a couch in the living room. A table covered with books and a laptop sat in front of the couch. Melinda sat, and Eli sat as well, but she made it a point to keep space between them.

"What have you researched?" Melinda was curious.

Eli looked at her and blushed. "I haven't, actually. The ghost came to me. The computer was just a set up so that you wouldn't think I was trying to get you alone or something."

"So you were planning on having me over?"

"Ah, maybe. So anyway, the ghost confirmed what you thought. He wants to assure Carry that it's not her fault. And he knows that something bad is out to get them."

"Something bad?"

"Yes. From the "dark side", for lack of better choice of words. It's what made Janice so sick. Carry's had a few accidents since then, but nothing too alarming yet. The ghost's name by the way, is Harvey. Harvey said that he can't go into the light because the demon is attached to him, and it needs Harvey's energy so it's preventing him from crossing over."

Melinda was a bit perplexed. She hadn't dealt with anything like this before. "The demon's feeding off Harvey's good energy and turning it into bad energy? But the only energy Harvey gets is from humans. Ghosts feed off human energy, especially negative."

Eli sighed. "I know it's confusing. I'm no expert on the dark side. All I know about is ghosts."

"So then, if we get rid of this demon, Harvey can finally cross over? And of course he has to talk to his family but the demon won't let him," Melinda guessed.

"Yes. Getting rid of a demon requires exorcism."

"How do you exorcise a ghost?"

"The demon isn't inside Harvey, just attached to him. We just get a priest to spread holy water around, do his thing and the demon should go back to hell or wherever."

Exhausted from all this talk of the undead, Melinda slumped back against the couch. It was rather comfortable. "Do you know any priests?" she asked Eli. "And any who believe in this kind of stuff and that would perform an exorcism on a ghost?"

"No, but I'm sure we could find one. There are enough churches in Grandview. We'll start looking tomorrow," he confirmed, leaning back also. "But tonight I just wanted to tell you that, then relax."

Melinda then realized what was happening. Eli wanted to get her alone again, even after he'd agreed to keep their encounters in public only. She turned to face him. "What kind of relax?" she demanded.

Eli grinned. "Chill, Melinda. Just sitting here with someone is good enough for me. You have no idea what it's like to live in a house alone all this time, with the occasional ghostly visitor. I feel like Ebenezer Scrooge from _The_ _Christmas Carol. _Successful and alone."

After a bit, Melinda began to relax again in Eli's company. Their kiss before had just been a stupid spur of the moment thing on Eli's part. She understood. She knew that she was good looking, but she wasn't conceited about it. It must be hard for Eli to sit next to a pretty woman and keep his hands to himself.

Eli hadn't spoken in a few minutes, so Melinda looked over at him. His eyes were closed, his hands resting on his stomach. "Eli?" she asked, wondering if he'd fallen asleep.

He opened his eyes and brought his gaze to her. "Hey. I was just relaxing. It's nice having someone beside me instead of that empty space."

Their eyes met for longer than intended, before Melinda broke the gaze. She couldn't look at him for too long. He would get the wrong idea.

It started to get awkward after that. Melinda wanted to go home, so she forced herself to stand up slowly. That couch was too comfortable. "It was nice being here Eli, but I should get back home. Jim's probably wondering where I am," she laughed nervously.

"Right. Melinda, it's only eight. We have an hour. You told him you'd be home by nine, right? Unless you really want to leave now," Eli put on a puppy dog face, and Melinda giggled at his antics. He really was charming, and funny, and she could be herself around him without stressing him out.

She sat back down. "Fine, I'll stay for a bit longer. Then I really have to go. I left my car parked in front of the store, and it takes about ten minutes to get back home from the store."

"I'll walk with you when you leave," Eli offered.

"Sure. Walking at night makes me nervous. But what about your walk back here?" Melinda was concerned for him being alone.

Eli shrugged. "Don't worry about me. I've nothing to offer anyone anyway, if something were to happen to me. You have Jim. I can't have anything happen to you. I'm sure Jim would murder me, and I wouldn't have you to cross me over."

Melinda sighed, scooting a bit closer to put a comforting hand on his arm. "That's not true, Eli. You're my friend. You'll find love one day, I know it. Any girl could easily fall for you. If I wasn't married..." she trailed off, realizing she'd crossed the line. Eli was going to get the wrong idea again.

Turning so that his body was facing her, Eli smiled. "I know what you were going to say. Do you mean that, Melinda?"

Sudden emotions fluttered in her stomach. Melinda really liked Eli, but would she betray Jim for him? She couldn't. Jim was her husband. But he didn't really understand her like Eli did. She couldn't be open with him without stressing him out. "Eli, I like you...as a friend..." she finally managed to get out.

But Eli's face fell instantly, like his world was crashing. "Oh. I guess you should probably go, then."

"Eli, I'm married," Melinda reminded him, trying to dig herself out of the hole she'd created. "I can't say things like that. It's not respectful to my husband."

"But you were going to say it!" Eli exclaimed.

"I was trying to comfort you," Melinda knew that there was something more between her and Eli, but she couldn't elaborate on it. She had to keep things simple, for Eli's sake, even if it meant hurting him.

"So it meant nothing then," Eli stood up, almost ripping his arm from her hand. "Let's get you home, then. You have a husband to go to."

"Eli, please," Melinda pleaded, standing up as well. "I like you, I really do, but I don't want to ruin our friendship and betray my husband. You're letting your feelings cloud you."

"But you're unlike anyone I've ever met! You're beautiful, smart, funny, and, most importantly, you GET ME! No one I've met has understood my gift. And I've met a lot of girls, believe me. I've tried like hell and you're the first and only one! And you're taken by a douche bag husband who gets stressed about everything you do even though you both help people!"

Melinda cringed. It was true. How could he have known that? Instead, she put up her guard and defended Jim, as was only proper. "Don't call him a douche bag! He married me even after I told him about my gift! He's always there for me, and -"

"Really, Melinda? How many times have you had to hide your gift because you were worried about him getting stressed over the top and leaving you?" Eli spat.

Again, Melinda flinched. Eli was totally right. "H-how..." she sputtered, the fight suddenly gone out of her.

"Because I've been there. I was married, once," Eli lowered his voice back to normal rather than yelling. "My wife couldn't accept who I was. She kept telling me how tired she was of me running off to try and help another ghost. She wanted me all to herself and that wasn't happening."

"Eli...I'm sorry..." Melinda began, but he held up a hand.

"Save it. I'll take you back to your car now. I'll see you until we get this ghost crossed over, but then I'm not sure if we can be friends. I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines and watching others have their happiness, while I'm here in this hellhole alone."

The walk to Melinda's car was silent. She was mulling over Eli's distress, wondering if perhaps his pain was recent. That would explain his quick attraction to her.

This time, he didn't even hug her goodbye, as usual. He just turned on his heel and walked into the darkness, back toward his house. Melinda watched him go, worried for two things: his safety, and his sanity.


	3. Final Decision

**Astrocam: Hey guys, thanks for the positive feedback so far :) Glad you seem to enjoy it. I think the next chapter will be my last, and then depending on how that chapter ends I may have an epilogue. Enjoy more of Melinda and Eli. I love this pair :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three - Final Decision<strong>

* * *

><p>Headlights glared through the window as Jim rested his head on the arm of the couch. He'd stayed up waiting for Melinda. He had to know what was really going on, and he would get the full truth out of her sooner or later.<p>

The front door soon opened slowly. "Jim?" Melinda called out quietly.

"Here, Mel," Jim rose from the couch, stretching and heading over to her.

She threw herself into his arms. "I love you," she whispered.

Jim's heart constricted. He had to tell her what he'd seen. He couldn't just let it go. But he heard obvious pain in her voice, like she was near tears. "What's wrong, Mel?" he tried to keep his voice calm as he stiffly returned her embrace.

"Me and Eli had a fight...he doesn't want to be friends anymore," she sniffled. "It's like high school all over again."

"What about?" Jim wondered if he could worm the truth out of her this way.

"I kissed him!" she blurted, looking up into Jim's eyes, tears pouring out of her own. "Well, he kissed me. But it was more than just a kiss."

Jim went numb. His instinct was to pull away from this betrayer and storm out of the house. But he wanted to know the whole story first. "W-what?" was all he could manage.

Melinda managed to sob out her story, and when she was finished, Jim released her and backed away from her. "Melinda, after I trusted you with him..."

"I'm so sorry! I love you, not him!" Melinda pleaded.

"I'm not so sure," Jim sighed, playing with the wedding band on his finger. "I think you feel for Eli more than you realized. And by the way, I know you were making out with him. I saw you when I was bringing your lunch today. You don't have any idea how hard it was for me to control myself and let him go when he walked out of that store."

Melinda's eyes widened. "Oh my God...you didn't hurt him, did you?"

Jim rolled his eyes. "I tell you that I saw you making out with your "friend", and you're more concerned about if I hurt him than how hurt I was when I saw you with him?"

She backed away from him. "I thought you would forgive me! It's not like it was planned or anything, it just happened! I said I was sorry and I'm never going to do it again because Eli doesn't want to be my friend anymore anyway, and even if he was, I would never..."

"Melinda. Stop. Just go to bed. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'll sleep down here. Wait until you're thinking clearly so you can try to explain to me what you've done. Then I might forgive you." Jim rubbed his temples, exhausted from the fighting, and emotionally drained by what he had seen earlier that day.

Tears were running down Melinda's face. She knew she'd messed up, big time. She knew it wasn't easy to forgive someone who had done such a thing. If places were switched, she wasn't sure if she would be able to forgive Jim. "I'm sorry," she whispered, before slowly turning and walking away from him, up the stairs to their bedroom.

* * *

><p>"You look like you didn't sleep at all last night," Delia commented the next day when Melinda finally arrived at work. She'd slept in past her alarm after being up in tears most of the night. Jim had left in the morning without telling her good-bye.<p>

Melinda answered with a weak smile. "Not really."

"More trouble with Jim?" Delia hated to see her friend upset.

"Yeah..." Melinda then blubbered out everything she had told Jim, including the fact that Eli didn't want to be her friend anymore. By the time she was done, she was almost near tears again.

Delia hugged her. "Aww, I'm sorry. Well I think you should just take time from Eli and let Jim build up his trust for you again."

"B-but it's not that simple. On top of all this I still have to figure out why Eli's ghost won't cross over, then get him to cross over. Plus I'm not sure, but I think I kind of might like Eli as more than a friend."

"Really?"

"Well we have so much in common and he's nice, funny, charming and handsome."

"Those are the words you used when you first talked to me about Jim," Delia shook her head in amusement, pulling away from Melinda.

"No, I mean we have the ghost thing in common. He can hear them, I see them. Jim just won't ever truly understand, even if he has been patient and open minded about it. Eli can help me. I finally have someone who does understand what it's like to be laughed at. And I can't lose him on top of Jim," Melinda put her head in her hands. In one day her life was completely messed up. And it was her fault. "Why couldn't I have just kept Eli as a friend?"

Delia sighed. "I don't know. Maybe this happened for a reason. Maybe you met Eli for a reason."

"B-but...Jim..." Melinda wasn't sure what to say anymore. She couldn't defend herself, she knew she had done wrong. But she didn't know what to do about it.

"Do you want me to talk to Jim for you?" Delia offered. "Or Eli?"

"I don't know. I have to figure out what...or who...I want..." Melinda sighed. She felt like she was in high school all over again. She loved Jim unconditionally, but couldn't deny the connection between her and Eli. She had to figure this out, without losing two important people in her life.

* * *

><p>Eli sat in his house alone that night, wallowing in self-pity. He had messed things up between him and Melinda. He shouldn't have kissed her, knowing she was married. What was he thinking? Now she probably hated him, and she wouldn't be able to be alone with him anymore.<p>

An unwelcome voice interrupted his thoughts. "I think her and her husband are having some trouble," it said.

"Harvey, leave me alone," Eli groaned. "Just tell me what you want so I can cross you over or whatever."

"You gotta fix things with Melinda first. I need both of you. This demon won't leave me alone."

"Well too bad," Eli snapped. "I'm sick of this."

"I think you should go to Melinda now. She's hurting. Her and her husband are getting a divorce."

At this news, Eli sat straight up. "WHAT? No, I can't believe I ruined a marriage! What kind of an idiot am I?"

"It wasn't just you," Harvey confirmed. "Melinda realized that her and Jim weren't working out. She feels more for you than she ever did with him. You and her have a connection, a bond, that her and Jim didn't."

"But she seemed so happy with him...what did I do?" Eli stood up and grabbed his jacket. "I have to convince her not to leave Jim for me!"

"No, wait -" Harvey started to say, but Eli left his house in a flash.

Eli arrived at Melinda's house about 20 minutes later. He knew where she lived because he'd driven her home a few times. He'd never been inside though. Now, sitting in his car, he peered in the windows of her home. He saw two figures inside, and they weren't all cuddling up to each other as he'd hoped.

"Fuck," he swore, not normally one to let out a curse word, but now seemed appropriate. Frustrated with himself, he banged his hands on the steering wheel before taking a few deep breaths and opening his door, sliding out of his car and stepping onto the driveway.

It didn't take him long to reach the front door. Then he stopped. What the hell was he going to say? Should he even be here? Should he just let Melinda and Jim do what they think is best?

It was too late to turn back. Melinda had spotted him, and opened the door before he even knocked. "Eli! What are you doing here?" she hissed. It looked and sounded like she had been sobbing.

Jim appeared behind her, and his eyes widened in recognition. "You're Eli! I saw you leaving the shop after you kissed my wife!"

Eli cringed. "Yes. I wanted to talk to you about that."

"Well come in," Melinda wiped her eyes and gave a weak smile. "Is it all right, Jim?"

"Fine," Jim glared daggers at Eli.

Eli felt like the hugest intruder as he stepped foot inside Melinda's home. He'd ruined a marriage, and the husband and wife of said marriage had been in the middle of an argument over him, before he'd interrupted. _Fuck my life,_ he thought before beginning his impromptu speech.

"Jim, I apologize for doing what I did with your wife. It was wrong and uncalled for. Melinda had nothing to do with it. She's innocent. I'm taking all the blame here. Melinda, I'm sorry for being upset with you last night. I still wish to be your friend of course. I didn't mean it when I said I wasn't going to be your friend after this ghost thing was over." Ending with a quick, deep breath, Eli paused to see what their reaction would be.

Melinda stepped forward first. "Eli...thank you for your words, they're appreciated. However, Jim and I have come to this final decision. We are getting a divorce." She said the last words quietly, like she didn't want them to be true.

Ashamed, Eli hung his head. "It's because of me. I'm so sorry."

Placing her hand on his shoulder earned her an ice-cold glare from Jim, but Melinda didn't care. Eli was blaming himself. She couldn't allow that to happen. "Eli, listen to me. It wasn't your fault. Jim and I just have differences we can't handle. I promise you had nothing to do with this. Don't feel bad."

She glanced at Jim, who sighed and piped up, "Yeah. She's right. Thanks for the words, Eli. Means a lot. I love Melinda, but I'm not sure if I can deal with the stress anymore. You know, the ghost thing and all."

"So what are you going to do?" Eli was concerned for Melinda. Was Jim going to kick her out? Where would she stay? His thoughts quickly drifted to the spare bedroom in his house...

"We're going to sleep on it. If the decision still stands tomorrow, we'll make the appointment to sign the papers and make the divorce final. I'll let Melinda live here until she finds a place of her own," Jim explained calmly.

Eli was a bit disappointed. "I have a spare bedroom, in case you need anything," he offered quickly, again earning him a look from Jim.

Melinda smiled a little. "Thanks Eli. I'll have to see what happens."

"Yeah, thanks for taking care of her," Jim forced out. He didn't like the idea of his soon-to-be ex wife living with another man so soon. It seemed suspicious. Was Melinda really leaving him for Eli? She had been the one to initiate the idea of a divorce. She wanted the divorce. Jim was ready to forgive her now, and he'd told her so, but she seemed persistent in getting a divorce. Perhaps she hadn't loved him as much as he'd thought...

* * *

><p>The next morning, Jim was still resentful to Eli for what he had done, but he was no longer upset with Melinda. He made this very clear as he was extremely affectionate to her, more so than he had been in a while.<p>

But, in return, she was cold. She didn't giggle like she used to when he kissed her neck, or smile when he hugged her from behind. When he tried to touch her, her body went stiff and she didn't respond to his warm touches.

"Jim, please," Melinda sighed, irritated, when he attempted to kiss her neck for the third time.

"What's wrong? I'm telling you that I love you and I forgive you, and you still want a divorce? It's Eli isn't it?"

Melinda tuned to face him, her eyes blazing. "You don't understand me like Eli does, and you never will. I don't want to stress you out with my ghost thing anymore. How much longer will you be happy with me? A week or two, before you get sick of me running off to meet Eli so we can cross this ghost over?"

It felt like a slap in the face. So, it was about Eli. He'd known it all along. "I'm sorry that I don't have ghost powers or whatever, but I love you for who you are, and I don't care if you have to cross the occasional ghost over. It's not worth losing you over." Jim didn't want to sound like he was begging, but if that's what it took to get her back... "We're not in high school anymore. You can't just leave me because you like someone else. What if it doesn't work out with you and him?" he added.

"Oh come on, it's not like I'm going to run from the house to meet Eli and proclaim my love for him," Melinda rolled her eyes and spoke like she was talking to a child. "I'm just confused about everything and I think it would be best for me to deal with it while being single."

"Yeah, so you can kiss Eli whenever you want," Jim shot back, realizing that he wasn't helping anything. Melinda was going to leave him anyway.

"Oh, grow up," Melinda threw her hands out toward him in an attempt to push him. He grabbed her hands before they could hit him, looking her in the eyes.

"Don't do anything stupid, Mel," he pleaded.

"I'm going to get out of this place for a while. I'll text you if I want back in," Melinda dropped the breakfast she had been making, grabbed her car keys and stormed out the door, leaving Jim staring after her in shock.

Would this be the last time he saw her while they were still together?

* * *

><p>Melinda drove. She didn't have a destination in mind, but subconsciously she must have, because she ended up at Eli's place, of course. She wasn't sure if he would even be home.<p>

On the one hand, she loved Jim. He had been right that they were married now and she couldn't just leave him for someone else she cared for a lot. But, on the other hand, she also couldn't deny the special bond she knew she had with Eli. In any choice she made, she would hurt someone. And she'd gotten herself into this mess by taking things too far with Eli.

Sighing in distress, Melinda slid out of her vehicle and walked up to the front door of Eli's house. She knocked. He answered a few seconds later, looking a bit bed-headed. Her bad mood seemed to lighten up, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Melinda, what's wrong?" Eli rubbed his eyes free of sleep and let Melinda in his house.

"Nothing, everything," Melinda wasn't even sure what to say. "Did I wake you?"

Eli smiled a little. "Maybe, but don't worry about it. I took today off. I should be at work but I couldn't handle dealing with other people's problems right now. They can reschedule their appointments or see someone else for all I care."

"Oh, I'm sorry, you shouldn't do that because of me," Melinda sat down on the couch, and Eli sat beside her. He was wearing his bathrobe, and Melinda hoped he at least had some underwear on under there.

"I'm confused about everything too," Eli confessed. "This ghost thing, your problems with Jim, my feelings for you..."

"I wanted to talk to you about that," Melinda interrupted him. "Your feelings for me. What are they exactly?"

Eli blushed. "I like you a lot," he forced out.

"I know it's more than that. You can tell me," Melinda played with her wedding ring, debating on taking it off.

"I might even love you," Eli turned his face away. He was always awkward with emotions. "I don't know. I just know we have a bond that I haven't felt before, even with my ex-wife or anyone else I dated for a while. It's not only because of our gifts. It's something more, but our gifts connected us."

Melinda nodded. "I feel the same."

Surprised, Eli turned to her. "Really?"

"Yes. We haven't known each other much longer than a couple of months, but I feel strongly for you, too, Eli," Melinda sighed as a weight was lifted off her chest. She was done hiding her emotions.

"Well then, what do we do?"

"As of now, I am still getting a divorce with Jim. My decision is final, and it had nothing to do with you. Jim forgave me, but I'm not as happy with him as I was. Things happen, people grow apart for no reason sometimes, even if they are married. Me and Jim probably rushed things anyway. We were young and stupid, had no idea what life could throw at us. Plus, he was the only one who understood and accepted me, even with my gift. Or at least, I thought he was."

Eli scooted closer to Melinda. "You're an amazing woman," he confessed. "I just want to make sure you're not making this decision because of me. What if the tides were turned, and Jim were to do this to you?"

"I would be upset, yes, and it would hurt a lot," Melinda admitted. "But, if that's what Jim wanted, I couldn't stop him from being happy and having a normal life."

"Are you happy with me?" Eli moved even closer to her so that their knees were touching.

Nodding, Melinda rested her head on his shoulder. "I am happy with you, Eli. You make me feel like no one else has, not even Jim."

Eli gently lifted her chin with his finger so that she was now looking in his eyes. He could feel her pulse racing. "You're beautiful," he murmured, before closing the gap and pressing his lips to hers.

It was like an electric shock ran through them both. Melinda gasped and wrapped her hands around Eli's back, while he did the same with her, pressing her body to his. He pushed her down on the couch so she was under him.

Even though he had worn underwear to bed last night, and he was wearing a thick bathrobe, he knew Melinda could feel him as she grinded into him, obviously enjoying his kissing expertise. He smiled a little at the thought, and continued to kiss her.

Soon the kissing turned into more than just that. They were rubbing their bodies against each other, and Eli managed to grab a boob without getting a slap to the face. Melinda just moaned into his mouth.

"I have a bed," Eli murmured as he kissed Melinda on the neck.

She wasted no time in pushing him off her, then grabbing his hand and dragging him to the bedroom.

They made out and felt each other up for a while longer, getting used to the feeling of each other. Eli was thoroughly enjoying himself, though a bit worried that Melinda would regret this later.

"Hey!"

A third voice caused them both to break apart, startled.

"What?" Eli demanded, frustrated that he'd been interrupted at the worst of times.

"Guys, have you forgotten? I need to cross over!"

Eli collapsed on top of Melinda. "Harvey, we're busy!" he snapped.

Melinda grunted. "Eli...you're crushing me..."

"Sorry," Eli sat up so that he was straddling Melinda.

"Well then, tell us what's the problem?" Melinda huffed. Eli saw that she was looking over towards his bedroom window, and that was where the voice was coming from.

"I need to make sure my wife and child will be safe if I'm gone. Also, I have this problem of a demon attached to me, which is causing problems for my family. I thought you guys already figured that out. Now help me, dammit!"

"Ughh!" Eli slid off of Melinda and stood on the floor, fixing his bathrobe. "Sometimes I don't enjoy having this gift..."

"Me either. So, we have to find a priest that believes in ghosts, and that will perform an exorcism on a ghost," Melinda also adjusted herself. "I guess I'll let you get dressed, Eli."

"You can watch?" Eli asked hopefully.

Melinda just smiled. "I'll be in the living room."

"B-but we were just about to -"

"Yeah. That's different."

"How? Ugh, fine," Eli huffed.

Melinda giggled and went out into the living room.

Eli was relieved that she didn't seem to regret anything yet, but a little worried about her possibly moving on too fast. "Harvey, go follow Melinda. I'm not getting dressed in front of a male ghost."

"Yeah, right. Sorry. Gone now." Harvey left and Eli could hear Melinda talking to him in the living room.

Eli got changed privately and headed out to the living room. Him and Melinda searched the internet and telephone book, and came up with a few possible priests who had strong beliefs in the other world.

The rest of the time they spent together that day, Melinda felt as though they were more than just friends. She felt giddy, kind of like a teenage girl on her first date. Like she wanted to impress Eli with everything she did. Even though they were dealing with the dead and ghosts, it was something she couldn't do with Jim. Now it didn't feel so much like a chore, or like it was tearing her away from people she cared about.

Finally, they found a priest who believed their story and offered to help. So they set up a meeting for the next day. Hopefully Harvey would be around. He hadn't bothered them since earlier that morning after he'd appeared while they had been about to...

"Eli?" Melinda's voice startled him as they left the church.

"Yes?" he murmured.

"I had...fun today, even if it was about ghosts and the dead."

"Me, too," Eli turned to face her, and he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Melinda responded, wrapping her arms around his neck.

After a few seconds, Eli pulled apart. "So, did you want to go back to my place and finish what we started earlier?"

Melinda's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Of course."

* * *

><p><strong>Astrocam: Again, do not complain if you don't like Melinda and Eli, or smut. Because you will be getting that in the next chapter. Thanks to those who have supported me so far :)<strong>


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